The influence of low frequency electric field on the coalescence of water drops in emulsion shear flow

Crude oil often mixes with water to form water-in-oil emulsions as a result of factors such as high shear at the production wellhead and surfactants that are naturally present in crude oil. The present study is aimed at determining the conditions leading to electrocoalescence of water droplets in the flow of the emulsion. An important part of this preliminary work concerns the creation of an experimental cell and installation designed to study the massive coalescence of droplets in a shear flow of an emulsion under the action of an applied inhomogeneous alternating electric field. The flow of the emulsion through the cell is created by a syringe pump. We determine the effect of exposure by the volume of the separated phases of the emulsion in the drainage tank. Further research will be related to the study of various emulsions with varying concentration and flow rate and possibly the frequency of the applied field. The research results will be useful for creating devices for electrocoalescence in the flow.